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Fitchburg High School remembers former student killed in fire

By Alana Melanson, amelanson@sentinelandenterprise.com

Updated:
04/14/2014 06:23:57 PM EDT

Christopher Brinkley's mother, Karen Gravell-Huckins, and his stepfather, Frank Huckins, sit on a bench in the Memorial Garden at Fitchburg High School where their son's name will be engraved on a stone. Brinkley, a 2010 graduate of FHS, was killed in a fire at 53 East St., Fitchburg, last month. His aunt, Lisa Englehart, also perished in the fire. (SENTINEL & ENTERPRISE/JOHN LOVE)

FITCHBURG -- Fitchburg High School will remember 2010 graduate Christopher Brinkley as a wonderful student with a great smile, who loved his high school and the students and staff he became friends with.

Eric Taylor, a media specialist in the school's academic success center, who was Brinkley's one-on-one aide for his four years at FHS and organizer of Monday's memorial service, said it meant everything to him to honor the life of his former student, who died in a March 30 fire at his home on East Street, along with his aunt, Lisa Englehart.

"It's my way of saying to Christopher, 'Thank you for allowing me to share your life for the four-plus years I've known you,'" he said.

Over four years, Taylor said, the two had become very close, forming a special bond.

"Chris went from being a very average student to graduating with honors," he said. "He did remarkable things in the four years he was here, and he was just loved by everyone."

Taylor recalled the first day he met Brinkley, and the first thing Brinkley asked him was, "Are you going to carry my bag for me?"

"I said, 'No, you're in high school now,'" Taylor said. "I glanced over, and I saw in his desk he had an assortment of matchbox cars all lined up. My deal with Chris was, those cars could stay on the desk, provided he got today's assignment done."

On the stage in the FHS auditorium, Taylor set up a desk to represent what Brinkley's desk would look like, with his books and a couple of matchbox cars, along with a single rose that was presented to Brinkley's family by Principal Jeremy Roche.

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Taylor, who sings at St. Bernard's Parish at St. Camillus Church, said Brinkley would always jokingly ask him, "Why don't you sing for me Mr. T?" but Taylor would shy away. On Monday, he finally sang for Brinkley, with church choir soprano Mary Mathieu joining him for a duet of "You Raise Me Up."

Special education teacher Mark Minnucci said the passing of Brinkley has hit students and staff alike very hard. In learning of his death, many have said, "Oh no, not Chris," he said.

Minnucci said he will miss Brinkley's infectious laugh and the fist-pounds and high-fives he would always give.

"Here was a young man who was thrown a lot of life's curve balls," he said. "Life wasn't always easy for Chris. But despite that, he always had a smile on his face, and I'll always remember that."

Minnucci said he was a new teacher when he met Brinkley as a sophomore in teacher Peter Perry's math class, and he was amazed by the unique relationship Brinkley had with Taylor.

"In that class, Chris taught us a lot, taught me a lot," he said. "He taught me that students that have disabilities cannot only function in a general ed setting, but excel in a general ed setting--and Chris excelled in that class."

Perry said Brinkley scored a perfect 100 average in his class, and that even with the help of a calculator, that's not an easy thing to do.

"If I put a problem on the board that I had shown once already in class, or just put the problem back up on the board to see if the students could now do it, he'd laugh like he knew a secret, and like I was being stupid for putting that problem up on the board," he recalled fondly.

Perry said he enjoyed Brinkley's honesty and directness, and the "genuine, pure essence of self that he would regularly share."

"Chris was the essence of grit, and persistence and diligence, and I'm grateful for having spent time with him," he said.

"He would usually laugh at all my corny jokes that the other students rolled their eyes at, so we had an immediate bond," said English teacher Patty Kelly. "Or, he had quite a few corny jokes of his own."

Kelly said she loves working at FHS because it is a family and that there is "no greater joy than watching young people grow and become wonderful adults."

"I'm very, very sorry we won't be able to see all of that with Chris, but it seems, even in his very short life, he did some pretty amazing things, and you should all be proud," she said to his family members, seated in the first three rows of the auditorium.

Following the indoor memorial service, about 10 plants were added to the school's memorial garden. Taylor said Brinkley's name would soon be added to a memorial stone in the garden, and the plants would be dedicated in his memory.

Brinkley's mother, Karen Huckins, and his stepfather, Frank Huckins Jr., said they are taking the loss day-by-day and were happy to hear some funny stories about Brinkley that brought smiles through the tears.

"It was good to see a different side of him," Karen Huckins said. "It was good to hear from everybody."

"Some very touching moments," Frank Huckins Jr. said.

"Fitchburg High School did an absolutely amazing tribute to Christopher," said cousin Pamela Myllykangas, of Leominster. "And I know he's smiling down."

FHS staff have also established a Christopher Brinkley Memorial Scholarship fund for intellectually challenged individuals who wish to seek higher education. Contributions may be made to the fund by sending checks directly to Fitchburg High School, c/o Joan Cayer, 140 Arn-How Farm Road, Fitchburg, MA 01420.

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